我又何必再說呢？若要一一細說，基甸、巴拉、參孫、耶弗他、大衛、撒母耳，和眾先知的事，時候就不夠了。他們因著信，制伏了敵國，行了公義，得了應許，堵了獅子的口，滅了烈火的猛勢，脫了刀劍的鋒刃；軟弱變為剛強，爭戰顯出勇敢，打退外邦的全軍。And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.（希伯來書 Hebrews 11:32-34）
眾先知 The Prophets
希伯來書十一章提到了「眾先知」（來11:32），以他們為信心的榜樣。信心的特徵之一是堅忍（endurance），在逆境中不退縮，在艱難中不放棄，在逼迫中不妥協，在挫折中不洩氣，「存心忍耐，奔那擺在我們前頭的路程。」（來12:1）最能夠表現這種精神的就是先知了。耶穌在登山寶訓中，特別以先知為榜樣來鼓勵門徒：
人若因我辱罵你們，逼迫你們，捏造各樣壞話毀謗你們，你們就有福了！應當歡喜快樂，因為你們在天上的賞賜是大的。在你們以前的先知，人也是這樣逼迫他們。（太5:11-12）
先知是神的僕人，向神所指定的對象，說神所指定的話。他們被人所憎惡，被打被殺是常見的事（太23:34）。他們要忍受孤寂的生活，甚至有人住在曠野或藏在洞裡（太3:1; 王上18:13）。先知的物質回報很低，有時僅能糊口（阿7:12），有時要靠烏鴉來養活（王上17:4）。有時實在是太、太…太苦了，忍不住對神說：「耶和華啊，罷了，求你取我的性命！」（王上19:4）這麼苦的生活，除非有神的呼召，有誰要去做先知呢？
當神的呼召臨到你 When God’s Call is Upon You
猶大國的末期，耶和華的話臨到耶利米，呼召他去做先知：
耶利米說，耶和華的話臨到我說：我未將你造在腹中，我已曉得你；你未出母胎，我已分別你為聖；我已派你作列國的先知。我就說：主耶和華啊，我不知怎樣說，因為我是年幼的。 （耶1:4-6）
耶利米蒙召了，他的反應和一般人一樣：推辭。推辭的原因也和一般人一樣：怕自己做不來（我不知怎樣說，因為我是年幼的！）先知的工作是說話，不知怎樣說，那要如何做先知？耶利米的理由似乎很充足，沒想到神卻不接受：
你不要說我是年幼的，因為我差遣你到誰那裡去，你都要去；我吩咐你說什麼話，你都要說。你不要懼怕他們，因為我與你同在，要拯救你。這是耶和華說的。（耶1:7-8）
當神呼召的時候，任何推辭的理由，都不成為理由。你不會說話？神賜給你話語。你缺少能力？神賜給你能力。神的呼召是帶著能力的，他呼召，他也賜能力。弟兄姊妹，當神呼召你的時候，你只要看神，不要看自己。你信神嗎？你相信神既然呼召你，他就會負責一切嗎？雖然神未必呼召我們去做先知，但他卻呼召我們去做門徒。我們應當欣然奉召，以信心來經歷神。
神對耶利米說：「我與你同在，要拯救你。」這是一個暗示，也是一個應許：暗示耶利米將要遭遇危難，應許耶利米將要得到拯救。果然，耶利米遭遇了許多危難，有幾次幾乎喪命，神卻與他同在，拯救了他。
脫了刀劍的鋒刃 Escaped the Edge of the Sword
想要殺耶利米的人很多，包括猶大王約雅敬。約雅敬王登基的時候，耶和華的話臨到耶利米，叫他到聖殿去宣告信息：
你要對他們說，耶和華如此說：「你們若不聽從我，不遵行我設立在你們面前的律法，不聽我從早起來差遣到你們那裡去我僕人眾先知的話（你們還是沒有聽從），我就必使這殿如示羅，使這城為地上萬國所咒詛的。」（耶26:4-6）
眾人聽了這些話有何反應？眾人的反應是「抓住他，說：你必要死！」（耶26:8）反應最激烈的是「祭司、先知」，就是當時的宗教領袖。他們對首領和眾民說：「這人是該死的，因為他說預言攻擊這城，正如你們親耳所聽見的。」（耶26:11）耶利米解釋說，我傳遞神的話語，目的是要你們改正行為，聽從耶和華，好使災禍不臨到你們。眾民接受了耶利米的解釋，沒有殺死他，可是約雅敬王就沒有這麼好說話了。有一個人，名叫烏利亞，他也照著耶利米的話「攻擊這城和這地」，約雅敬王想要殺死他。烏利亞逃到埃及，約雅敬派人到埃及去捉他：
他們就從埃及將烏利亞帶出來，送到約雅敬王那裡；王用刀殺了他，把他的屍首拋在平民的墳地中。然而，沙番的兒子亞希甘保護耶利米，不交在百姓的手中治死他。（耶26:23-24）
在那一次的風波中，烏利亞死於刀下，耶利米的性命卻得到了保全。
耶和華將他們隱藏 The Lord Hid Them
若干年後，耶和華的話臨到了耶利米。耶利米說出神的話語，叫巴錄記在書卷上。巴錄將書卷交給長官，長官呈給約雅敬王。約雅敬命人讀書卷上的話，當時正是冬天，王宮中燒著火盆：
猶底念了三四篇，王就用文士的刀將書卷割破，扔在火盆中，直到全卷在火中燒盡了…王就吩咐哈米勒的兒子耶拉篾和亞斯列的兒子西萊雅，並亞伯疊的兒子示利米雅，去捉拿文士巴錄和先知耶利米。耶和華卻將他們隱藏。（耶36:23,26）
在這一次的風波中，信息被刀割破，信差卻得到保全，因為「耶和華將他們隱藏」。
“耶利米” 與 “司提反” The Jeremiahs and Stephens
在我寫這篇文章之前，新聞上有一則報導：有兩個中國人在巴基斯坦遭伊斯蘭國（IS）恐怖份子綁架，已經不幸遭害。根據後來的消息，這二人是24歲的李某和26歲的孟某，是中國家庭教會所差派的宣教士。除了他們二人，同行的還有十一名宣教士，已經安全返國。像他們這樣到危險地區工作的宣教士，還有許多。（South China Morning Post, 7/18/2017）
在現今的世代，神仍然在呼召人。許多信徒回應神的呼召，走上生死難卜的奉獻之路。有些人的性命得以保全，像耶利米一樣。有些人為主殉道，像初期教會的司提反，以及這兩位宣教士一樣。保全性命的人要為主走更遠的路，為主殉道的人已經打完了美好的仗，回到主的身邊。無論是生是死，他們都榮耀了神，為我們樹立起信心的榜樣。
耶利米的經歷告訴我們：
- 當神的呼召臨到你，要以信心來回應
- 無論是生是死，其中都有神的美意，以及信心的見證
【Life is a song】Escaped the Edge of the Sword
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. (Hebrews 11:32-34)
The Prophets
Hebrews chapter 11 mentions “the prophets” and portrays them as examples of faith. One of the characteristics of faith is endurance. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us”. Such endurance means that we stand firm in the face of adversity; we persist through hardship; we do not make compromises even in persecution; and in failure, we are not discouraged. The prophets best exemplify this spirit of endurance. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the prophets as examples to encourage his disciples:
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11-12
A prophet is a servant of God. He is to speak only what God commands him, and only to the people to whom God sends him. Prophets are often hated by men, and it is not uncommon for prophets to be beaten and killed (Matthew 23:34). They bear the burden of a lonely life, some even living in the desert or in caves (Matthew 3:1; 1 Kings 18:13). They earn barely enough to live by (Amos 7:12), depending even on the ravens for food (1 Kings 17:4). At times, their lives are so difficult that they cannot help but cry out to God “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life!” (1 Kings 19:4) If not for God’s calling, who would willingly endure such a hard life as a prophet?
When God’s Call is Upon You
In the latter years of the kingdom of Judah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, calling him to become a prophet of God.
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Ah, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” (Jeremiah 1:4-6)
When Jeremiah was called, his first reaction was to refuse. His reason? “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” He was afraid he would not be up to the task. A prophet speaks. If one does not know how to speak, how can he be a prophet? Jeremiah’s reason seemed legitimate, but God did not accept it.
Do not say, “I am only a child.” You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 1:7-8)
When God’s call is upon you, there can be no reason for refusing to heed His call. You do not know how to speak? God will give you the words. You lack ability? God will enable you. God’s call is full of power, and He will empower those whom He calls. Brothers and sisters, when God calls you, you must only look to God, and not look at yourself. Do you trust God? Do you believe that if God calls you, He will not fail you? Although God may not call us to be a prophet, but He does call us to be a disciple. We must gladly accept this call, and walk on this journey of faith with Him.
The Lord told Jeremiah that “I am with you and will rescue you”. This is both a forewarning and a promise: it forewarns that Jeremiah will encounter hardship, and promises that he will be rescued. Sure enough, Jeremiah experienced a lot of hardship, almost being killed on several occasions, yet God was with him and rescued him.
Escaped the Edge of the Sword
There were many people who wanted Jeremiah dead, including Jehoiakim king of Judah. Early in the reign of Jehoiakim, the Lord told Jeremiah to stand in the courtyard of the Lord’s house and speak to all the people this message:
Say to them, “This is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.” (Jeremiah 26:4-6)
How did the people react to this message? They seized him and said “You must die!” (Jeremiah 26:8) The priests and prophets, who were the religious leaders of their day, were the most riled up. They told the officials and all the people, “This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears!” (Jeremiah 26:11) Jeremiah explained that the purpose of his message from God was to appeal to them to reform their ways and to obey the Lord, so that the Lord will relent and not bring the disaster He has pronounced against them. The people accepted his explanation and did not put him to death. But King Jehoiakim was not persuaded so easily. A man named Uriah also prophesied the same things “against this city and this land”, as Jeremiah did. So King Jehoiakim wanted to kill him. Uriah fled to Egypt, but Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt to capture him.
They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people. Furthermore, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death. (Jeremiah 26:23-24)
And so Uriah died by the sword, while Jeremiah escaped this turmoil unscathed, his life preserved.
The Lord Hid Them
Several years later, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah again. Jeremiah dictated the word of the Lord to Baruch, who recorded all the words on a scroll. Baruch gave the scroll to the officials, who presented it to king Jehoiakim. The king ordered the scroll to be read to him. It was winter, and there was a fire burning in the firepot in front of him.
Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire…Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the Lord had hidden them. (Jeremiah 36:23, 26)
This time, the message was cut by a knife, while the messenger was protected because “the Lord had hidden them”.
The Jeremiahs and Stephens
Before I wrote this article, there was a news report about two Chinese nationals who were kidnapped and killed by ISIS terrorists in Pakistan. Later reports confirm 24-year-old Lee and 26-year-old Meng as missionaries sent by house churches in China. There were eleven missionaries traveling with them who have now safely arrived back home. There are many like them, who go as missionaries to dangerous areas. (South China Morning Post, 7/18/2017)
In this present generation, God is still calling us. There are believers who respond to God’s calling and give their lives completely to Him, embarking on a journey that could mean ultimate death. Some lives are preserved, like Jeremiah. Some end up giving their lives, like Stephen of the early church who was stoned to death, or like these two missionaries who were killed just a few weeks ago. Those whose lives were saved were rescued so that they may continue to serve the Lord. Those who were martyred have fought the good fight and are now in the presence of God. Whether in life or in death, they have set an example of faith for us, and brought glory to God.
The experience of Jeremiah teaches us:
- When God’s call is upon you, respond in faith.
- Whether one lives or dies, God has His purpose, and can use all situations as a testament to faith.
